Surprises
by SweetestSmiles89
Summary: What does Woody do when he finds out that he could have a daughter? Read and See!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Crossing Jordan or any of the characters...obviously.

Chapter 1

"I can't believe Garrett is making me do all this paperwork," said Jordan who sat bored in her office. " I could be bugging him instead," she thought. As Jordan went out into the hall to get coffee, she spotted a young looking girl who seemed to be looking for someone.

"Hey," said Jordan, walking into the hall, "can I help you."

"Umm.. actually yes. I was looking for Woodrow Wilson Hoyt. An officer at the precinct said that he would probably be here," replied the girl.

"Which officer told you that?" asked Jordan, although she already knew the answer.

"I believe his name was Seely. He said, and I quote 'Hoyt spends more time at the ME's office then at the precinct." she replied.

" I thought so. Seely's a jerk. Did he come off that way?" Jordan asked.

"Yeah, just a bit," she said.

" I believe Woody is in with Bug and Nigel. I'll go see if I can find him," said Jordan.

"Thanks ma'am," she said.

"I'll do anything to avoid paperwork, and call me Jordan," she replied.

The girl smiled and remained standing in the hallway, as Jordan went into the autopsy room. Sure enough, she found whom she was looking for.

"Hey guys," Jordan said as she entered the room. The guys looked up in unison and replied the greeting.

"What are you looking at?" said Jordan as she walked over to join her friends.

"Just some questionable bruises on this body. They don't go with the supposable cause of death," replied Bug.

"Want to check them out?" asked Woody.

"As much as I want to, Garrett would kill me if he knew I was in here. I can't do anything until I finish my paperwork," Jordan replied.

"When has that ever stopped you before luv?" asked Nigel smiling.

"I know. I was just looking for Woody. There is a girl waiting in the hallway to see you," said Jordan. Bug and Nigel looked over at Woody with huge smiles.

"I wouldn't get so excited if I were you." she told them, "The girl isn't older than fifteen, I'd say."

"You dog!" replied Nigel.

" Nigel, you have the wrong idea. I don't know who that girl is," said Woody.

" Well, I wouldn't keep her waiting," said Jordan.

"You just want to know what she wants," said Woody.

" Aww Woody, can't you have a little more faith in me?" Jordan replied smiling.

" I only assume these things because I care." said Woody, smiling, as he exited the room.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

Hannah stood patiently in the hallway as she waited for the man she had come to see . She was nervous and excited as she waited for him. She looked up and saw a man coming toward her. He had blue eyes and brown hair, identical to her own. He also had a badge so she was sure it was him.

"Are you Woodrow Hoyt?" Hannah asked him as he approached.

"Yeah, I am. You can call me Woody though," he replied.

"I'm Hannah, and I umm... need to talk to you," she said nervously.

"Okay. Well, I have to finish up some business here, but if you'll go to the precinct and wait for me, I'll be there in about fifteen minutes," he asked in a questioning tone.

"Yeah, I'll be there," Hannah replied smiling.

"Great," said Woody as he turned and walked back down the hall.

Woody went back into the autopsy room. He found Jordan hovering over the body Bug had been examining.

"What happened to 'Garrett will kill me if he knew I was in here'?" asked Woody smiling.

"Well, the way I see it, Bug needed a fellow colleague's opinion, and I am that colleague," Jordan replied.

"Only if you say so," said Woody.

"Anyway, did you find out what that girl wanted?" asked Jordan, wondering if Woody would give in and tell her.

"I don't know yet. I'm meeting her at the precinct. I think it's about one of our investigations though," replied Woody.

"Yeah, I guess I can believe that," said Jordan.

"Hey Bug, you get the results yet?" asked Woody.

"Not yet, but I'll send them over as soon as I do," replied Bug.

"Good, I'll be expecting them," said Woody. He told them goodbye and left the morgue. As he got into his car, he wondered what Hannah had wanted to tell him.

Chapter 2

Woody arrived at the precinct fifteen minutes later, as promised. Hannah was relieved to see him enter.

"Hi," she said, as Woody walked toward her.

"Hey," he replied.

"Listen," Hannah started , " I think it would be best if we talked in private."

"Okay. Let me go secure us an interrogation room. Wait here," Woody replied.

Hannah smiled and waited for him to return. She was getting butterflies in her stomach. She knew what she had to do and was happy she had finally gotten the chance to confront Woody.

"This way," Woody replied, leading her into the nearest room.

They entered the room and Hannah took a seat at the table. Woody followed her lead and sat across from her.

"Woody," she began, " as I said before, my name is Hannah. I am Hannah Hoyt." she paused before going on.

"I am... umm... your daughter," Hannah finally stammered out.

She looked at Woody. His mouth was agape and his eyes were huge. He said nothing

"I thought you were going to take this badly. I'm glad I was wrong," Hannah said sarcastically.

"This is impossible. How..." said Woody as his voice drifted off.

"Well, when a man and a woman love each other very much---," she began.

"I now how, I meant who, when?" Woody replied as he cut her off, still shocked buy the news.

Hannah began to explain. "My mother was Laura Reynolds."

"Was?" asked Woody.  
"Yes. She... died last month, in the hospital. She was in a car accident. They got her to the hospital, but by then she had a gone into cardiac arrest and died instantly," Hannah said sadly. "Mom had never talked about you before and I never asked because I figured it was too painful to talk about. All I knew was that my father's last name was Hoyt. A week after the accident, I was in the attic and I came across some papers. Among them I found my birth certificate and on it you were marked as my father. And now, here I am."

"Wow, umm... if you don't mind my asking, when were you born?" asked Woody.

"December 11th, 1991," Hannah replied.

"So...,it was after we graduated. If you didn't realize, your mother and I went out our Senior year in high school," Woody told her.

"I suspected as much," Hannah told him. "Look, if you want me to leave and let this sink in awhile, I will. I now how you must be feeling." She turned to leave, but Woody got up and stopped her.

"I know this is shocking news for me, but I don't want you to leave. You're only fourteen and I don't want you roaming this city alone. You can stay with me until we get this figured out," said Woody. "Let me get my stuff and we can get something to eat."

She smiled at him and left the room. He followed her silently as they entered the hall. His mind was full of questions and emotions. He still wasn't convinced that he was her father. Why hadn't Laura told him that she was pregnant, and if it was true, why hadn't she told her daughter who her father was. It just didn't make any sense.

Woody led Hannah to his car and they drove silently to the diner that he and his friends so often went to. He then decided not to go there because Jordan or any other of his friends might be there. He wasn't sure he wanted them to know right now, especially Jordan. He wasn't sure if he could handle telling her. It just seemed that they had gotten into a good spot in their relationship. He didn't want to scare her off or give her another reason that they shouldn't be together. Instead, he drove to a pizza place near the precinct where, hopefully no one would see them.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

"This is a nice place you got here," said Hannah as she entered Woody's apartment.

"Thanks," said Woody. " Listen, I know it's late and you're probably tired, because to tell you the truth, I'm tired myself. But, I don't have a guest room so will the couch do?"

"Yeah, the couch is fine," she replied. "And thanks again for letting me stay here."

"It's not a problem," Woody told her kindly. "The bathroom is over there, and the kitchen is through here," he said as he pointed to the places. " I am just going to go to bed."

"Okay," Hannah replied as she sat on the couch. Woody went into his room and closed the door behind him.

"This has been a strange day," he thought to himself. He was not really that tired, but he couldn't think about her right now. All he was worried about if she was really his kid. He told himself that Laura put his name down because he was responsible and maybe the real father was a looser. It was about 10:30 and though he really didn't want to sleep, he thought it wouldn't hurt.

Meanwhile, in the next room, Hannah had settled in on the couch, and was trying to sort out her thoughts.She knew that Woody hadn't totally believed her, but she was positive he was her father. Her mother had not been a liar and she knew that. She just hopes Woody would eventually see the light. Within five minutes, Hannah had fallen into a sleepy haze and drifted off to sleep.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

Woody had been tossing and turning all night. He looked over at his alarm clock that read 2:15. He was thirsty and decided to get a drink. He walked out into the living room and saw that Hannah was fast asleep. He walked over to her side and swept the hair off her face. She did have his blue eyes and brown hair, but that could just have been a coincidence. Then he had an idea.

"I don't think you'll miss this," he whispered to himself as he gently pulled at a stray hair on her head. He knew he could have it analyzed at the ME's and decided it couldn't hurt just to see. He owed it to himself and Hannah to see if they were father and daughter. He tiptoed into the kitchen and put the hair into a plastic bag. Woody dismissed the drink and then went back to his room. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He was at ease.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

Hannah awoke the next morning to the sound of Woody's alarm clock. "That's rather loud," she told herself.

"Sorry," he said as he peaked his head out of his door.

"That's okay," she said as she stood up to stretch.

"I have to go to work, but you can feel free to go out and enjoy the city," he said in a happy sounding voice.

"Thanks, I think I will," Hannah replied. Woody smiled at her and went into the bathroom. She heard the shower start and the curtain close. She left the couch and went into the kitchen in search of a cereal. She finally found some and dug through cupboards and drawers to find a bowl and spoon. She sat at the table and ate quietly.

"I hope he won't mind," she pondered to herself. Last night he had told her where the kitchen was and she didn't think he would mind her eating a little breakfast.

Woody emerged from the bathroom and saw Hannah at the table. "Glad you found the cereal alright," he said.

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind, but I was a little hungry," she told him.

"No, that's fine. Actually, I was just going to tell you to help yourself. I also took the liberty of laying out some towels for you in the bathroom in case you wanted to take a shower," said Woody.

"Thanks," she replied.

"Yep," he said as he entered his room. Once inside, he looked vainly for some clean clothes. He finally found some, got dressed, and was preparing to leave. Hannah was already in the shower, so he left his apartment and set off to go to work.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

Woody arrived at the Boston Police Precinct fifteen minutes later. He went inside and sat at his desk, looking for the report Bug should have sent over.

"Detective Hoyt!" said a voice behind Woody.

"Yeah," he replied turning around. It was the captain.

"Where are those reports? I needed them at 8:00 this morning and it's now 8:45," said the captain.

"I know sir. The ME's office was supposed to send them over as soon as they finished the autopsy. I guess they haven't finished yet," said Woody.

"Hoyt, I need those reports. Go get them. NOW!"

"Yes sir," said Woody grabbing his jacket and leaving the precinct.

Woody was actually glad that the captain had sent him to the morgue. He needed desperately to talk with Dr. Macy. He arrived at the there with the hair in tow, and entered the building. Dr. Macy was in the hallway.

"Dr. Macy, Dr. Macy!" said Woody as he walked toward him. Garrett turned around.

"Yeah, Woody," he said as Woody came nearer.

"I need you to do a DNA test for me to see if these samples are related," Woody replied.

"Who are these samples from?" Garrett asked while he was looking at the long and short brown hairs in the baggy.

"It's confidential, Dr. Macy. I'm sorry I can't tell you more. But, can you tell me when you'll have the results?" asked Woody

"It depends on how soon you need them," Dr. Macy replied.

" Right away. It's very important I have them by the end of the day," he said.

"Okay. Come by later this afternoon," replied Garrett.

"Thanks Dr. Macy. You never let me down." With that, Woody went to find Bug and Jordan to get the reports.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Woody went back to the morgue at 4:30 that afternoon, with hopes that Dr. Macy had processed the hairs. He immediately went to Dr. Macy's office and was about to knock on the door.

"He's in there with someone," said Lily who had appeared in the hallway.

"Thanks Lily. I guess I'll just wait out here then," Woody replied.

"Is it something I can help you with?" Lily offered.

"Umm..., I just needed to talk with him," said Woody.

"Oh. Okay," replied Lily. She disappeared down the hallway.

"Hey Woody," said Jordan as she left her office. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just waiting for Dr. Macy. I needed to talk with him," said Woody.

"Okay. I have to get down to autopsy, but I'll catch up with you later," replied Jordan.

"I'll be waiting," said Woody smiling. Just then the door opened to Garrett's office. The man left and Woody entered.

"Hey Dr. Macy. Did you get those results yet?" asked Woody.

"Yeah. I got them shortly before you came in. But before I give them to you Woody, you have to tell me what's going on. I know you well enough to assume that there is more to these results than you're telling me," said Garrett.

"Well, you know what they say when you assume things," replied Woody.

"No. What do they say?" asked Garrett.

"That's not important right now. Come on Dr. Macy. Just tell me," said Woody.

"No. Not unless you tell me what's going on," said Garrett.

"Fine. I'll just find someone else to do it," said Woody, turning to leave.

"Don't walk away Woody," said Garrett.

"Did you want something?" asked Woody.

" No. I just always wanted to say that. Listen, I know that one of those samples was yours. I don't know what you want to keep secret, but just tell me. I promise I won't tell Jordan," said Garrett.

"Why would you say that Dr. Macy?" asked Woody.

" I just figured that you wouldn't tell me whatever you're hiding because you thought I would tell her," said Garrett.

"I don't want anyone to know. So if I tell you, you have to keep it secret," replied Woody

"You have my guarantee," said Garrett.

"Okay. The other sample is a 14 year old girl's who, just yesterday, told me that I was her father. I just wanted to make sure she was before I get emotionally involved," Woody confessed.

"I think you already are emotionally involved," replied Garrett who, undoubtedly, was surprised by the news.

"Come on, Dr. Macy. Just tell me," said Woody.

"The results confirmed that she IS your daughter," said Garrett at last.

"Are you sure, Dr. Macy? You're not joking with me?" asked Woody.

"Take a look for yourself," said Dr. Macy, handing the papers to Woody. " I won't tell anybody."

"Thanks, Dr. Macy. But..., I need to tell Jordan about this. I just hope it doesn't change anything," replied Woody.

"Why would it?" asked Garrett.

"I don't know. I just know her and I hope she won't hate me," replied Woody.

"I don't think you're giving Jordan enough credit. Sure she's a pessimist, but I don't think she'll react the way you think she will. Just go and tell her. She might surprise you," said Garrett.

Woody left Dr. Macy's office. He knew he had to tell Jordan, and he thought this was as good a time as any. By now, Jordan had left the autopsy room, and was sitting in her office. Jordan smiled when she saw him enter.

"Hey stranger," she said smiling, as he entered.

"Hey, Jordan," Woody replied.

" So what's new?" she asked.

"I am glad you asked. I have some big news, and I still can't believe it," he replied.

"Well, what is it Woody?" Jordan asked.

" I umm, I have a 14 year old daughter," said Woody.

"What!" said Jordan shocked.

"I have a daughter," Woody said again.

"You had a little Hoyt running around and you didn't tell me?" asked Jordan in a surprised voice.

"I didn't even know there was a "little" Hoyt running around until yesterday. That was the girl who came here looking for me yesterday," replied Woody. "Are you mad at me?"

"No. Why would I be?" asked Jordan.

"I don't know. I just hope this doesn't change anything between us," said Woody.

"Woody, you have a daughter. So what. I don't hate you for it. It was out of your control, and it won't change anything, so don't worry," replied Jordan.

"Wow, Jordan. I thought you would react differently," said Woody.

"I know. I'm surprising people all the time," she said smiling.

"Well, I guess I'll talk to you later. I better get going back to the precinct," replied Woody.

"Okay, and Woody," said Jordan.

"Yeah?" he said, turning around.

"Call me if you need help, or... just want to talk about it," she said.

"Thanks," Woody replied. As he left, he felt relieved. Jordan didn't hate him and he knew that Hannah was his daughter. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Woody arrived back at the precinct at 5:15. By that time, all he wanted was to get out of there. He had had a crazy day. He gathered his jacket and briefcase and booked out of there. He drove in silence back to his apartment. Woody wondered if his daughter had had a good time exploring the city. He loved Boston and wanted her to find it's magic as well. He found it hard to call Hannah his daughter, though. He had only know her for twenty-four hours, and it didn't seem real. It had all happened so fast and so far it seemed like a dream. Woody wondered if he should tell her about the test that Dr. Macy had preformed. He thought she might react badly, but he knew that trust was vital in the beginning of any relationship, including his own. Now that Woody knew Hannah was truly his daughter, he really wanted to get know her. She seemed like a really great kid, from what he already knew about her.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

Woody had just arrived at his apartment. He could see light creeping through the bottom of his front door, and knew that Hannah was back. He sighed and leaned against the wall. He put his head into his hands and then ran his fingers through his hair. Woody had no clue what to talk to Hannah about. Sure they were kin, but he was, it seemed, so foreign to her. He turned and stared at the front door, and then finally got the courage to enter.

"Hannah?" Woody called out.

"In here," she yelled. Her voice had come from the living room. He walked in and saw her seated with Jordan.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. Woody was surprised she was here. He had just seen less that an hour ago.

"Well, Woody I wanted to see your bachelor pad," Jordan said sarcastically. "What do you think? I wanted to see Hannah, and to tell her some stuff about Papa Woody."

"Okay. First of all, Hannah don't believe everything she tells you. Second of all, Jordan how did you get here so fast. I left the morgue less than an hour ago," said Woody.

"I have my ways. Anyway, I brought Chinese," she said smiling.

"Okay. Jordan can I talk with you. Out here." Woody said point blankly.

Jordan got up off the couch and followed Woody out into the hall. She wondered if he was going to make her leave. It was in his nature to do that.

"What Woody?" she asked innocently.

He gave her a menacing look. "I can't believe you came here."

"I know. I just thought that you might like somebody to be here with you. I wanted her to know that I care," replied Jordan.

"Oh. Sorry for getting so, so...," said Woody.

"Spastic?" added Jordan in a questioning tone.

"Yeah," replied Woody. "I just want to get to know her better before I tell anyone. I mean, I told Garrett because he wouldn't give me the results if I didn't. I told you because I knew the longer I waited to tell you, the more grief you would give me when you found out."

"Hey!" said Jordan smiling. She punched at his arm playfully. "I would have understood."

"Really?" he asked. "I guess I have been underestimating your reactions lately."

"Yeah. You know, you should have more faith in me. Just when you think you have me all figured out, I will always surprise you," she replied.

"I don't think I will ever fully figure you out," said Woody teasingly. She punched his arm again.

"You better stop while you're ahead. You don't want to have too many bruises before you go back in there," said Jordan jokingly. "I guess I can leave so you can have some time with her."

"Thanks," replied Woody. She turned to go, but Woody kept talking. " Jordan, do you think I can this?"

"Do what?" she asked, turning around to face him.

"This whole parenting thing," he replied.

"Woody, I think you will make a great father. I always thought any kid would be lucky to have you as a dad. In fact, that's what I told Hannah," said Jordan.

"You did?" he questioned further.

"Absolutely. You have this quality about you that makes people feel safe when you're near," she replied.

"Thanks, Jordan. That is exactly what I needed to hear," he said earnestly.

"Anytime. And you know, my offer still stands. I will always be here to help you. And so will Garrett, and the others at the morgue," said Jordan.

"I know," he said. He watched her walk down the hall and out of sight before he entered his apartment again.

"Hey," said Hannah as she watched him walk toward her and sit across from her in the living room.

"Hey," he replied. "I just want to tell you, that I had a DNA test done today. I took some of your hair and had it examined by my friend at the morgue. It said that we are related."

"I felt you pull at some of my hair last night," said Hannah.

"Are you mad?" he asked, afraid of her answer.

"No. Not at all. In fact, I was going to suggest that we have that done. I knew you wanted to be sure, and... I wanted that as well," she replied.

"Oh," was all he could muster.

"Jordan brought us some food," said Hannah, dismissing the subject at hand.

"Yeah, I saw that," Woody said.

"Is there something going on between you to?" she inquired.

"No," Woody responded quickly. "Why would you say that?"

"Well, I got the vibe that she likes you as more than a Detective, and as more than a friend." she replied. "Not to mention how quickly you said no to my question."

"Oh. There's nothing going on, but... you really think she likes me?"

"Yeah. It's a girls intuition," said Hannah, smiling.

"Well, let's switch the subject. Hannah, I want to know everything about you. I want to know where you go to school, your favorite color, your favorite food and---,"said Woody.

"I... get the picture," said Hannah, laughing. She was glad that Woody had taken such a keen interest in her. She wanted to know everything about him as well.

"As you know, I am fourteen. I was born on December 11, 1991, in Wisconsin Central Hospital. My middle name is Elizabeth. It came from my grandmother. I attended Lincoln Elementary School, and I'm currently enrolled in Lincoln Middle School. I will be in 8th grade this year."

She and Woody sat there for the next few hours, telling each other about their lives. Woody had told her about his family. His deceased parents, and addict brother. Why he had enrolled in the police academy, his past relationship with Laura, and about all his friends at the morgue. Little did they know as they sat their reminiscing, that the weeks ahead would be harder than anything they had yet experienced. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It had been three weeks since Woody and Hannah had been united. He could already see the Hoyt in her, the courage and bravery. These were his qualities, and Woody was happy to see her exhibit them. He had not yet confessed to the rest of his friends that he had a daughter, though. For now, he wanted her all to his own. They were still learning so much about each other, and he knew they wouldn't been done soon. They had crammed a lifetime worth of memories into only a few short weeks, and both he and Hannah knew that there was so much more to share. It was Saturday, and they planned to spend the whole day together.

"Are you almost ready?" Woody yelled from the kitchen.

"Hold your horses. I'll be out in a minute," said Hannah. She was in the bathroom putting her hair up into a ponytail. She knew he was impatient, and only laughed when she heard him groan at her response. She was so grateful for the time she had spent with Woody. She had wondered several times why her mother had wanted to keep him a secret from her. He was a wonderful man, and she only wished she had found him sooner.

"I'm ready," she said as she emerged from the bathroom.

"About time," he replied. He did not want to be late. Woody had the entire day planned and wanted to get started as soon as possible.

"So...where are we going?" Hannah asked excitedly.

"Well, first I thought we could grab some breakfast. Is that okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah. It sounds great," she replied, as she grabbed her book bag. Woody grabbed his keys off the table, and followed Hannah out the door. He drove to a diner, just a short distance from his apartment. As they arrived, they both were hungry, and were happy as they approached the establishment to find it was not busy. They walked in and seated themselves at a booth. They sat in silence for a few moments, before anyone spoke.

"So, what's your greatest fear?" inquired Hannah.

"Well, I'd have to say getting shot," he replied.

"As a police officer sure. I bet that's probably every officer's fear. I meant as an individual. The thing that would devastate you if you actually found out were true," said Hannah.

Woody pondered this question as the waitress took their order. He wasn't sure if he had ever been asked this question before. Sure he had fears. Plenty of them, in fact.

"I think my fear is that...if my father were still alive, he wouldn't be proud of the man I am today. I mean, I would always try to please him, even when I was just a kid. I mean I know I failed with Cal, but still..." replied Woody. His voice trailed off.

"What is your fear?" he said, so he could stop thinking about his answer.

"I think my fear is that I will be a disappointment. I mean, people are disappointments. I know that, I get that. But what if you wake up one morning and realize that you're the disappointment?" she replied, her eyes staring at him for an answer.

"You're not a disappointment. I have only known you a short while, and I can see that you're not." said Woody.

"I know. But, when someone says that they're mad at me, I can deal with that. But when they say that they're disappointed in me, it's hard to not be sad, because you disappointed them, you let them down, and you can see it in their face. It breaks my heart," Hannah replied.

"I know what you mean," he said honestly. She smiled at him.

"So what are we going to do today?" asked Hannah, shaking off the serious tone in her voice.

"Well, I'd thought we'd go see the Sox's at Fenway," replied Woody.

"Cool. I have always wanted to go to a baseball game," she said, as the waitress arrived at the table with their food. They ate without really saying much, but thinking over their previous conversation. Within fifteen minutes, they finished their food, paid, and left the restaurant. On their way out, Woody ran into Seely.

"Where have you been at?" he asked in an angry tone.

"I was eating," Woody replied.

"Well, we're fifteen minutes late," said Matt.

"For what?" Woody asked.

"We have that stake out today. Don't you remember?" replied Matt.

"No, on account of you never told me," said Woody.

"Yeah, I did. But that doesn't matter right now. We have to go," said Matt turning to leave. Woody turned to Hannah. He didn't know what to do.

"I'm sorry. I guess I have to go. It's for a really important case. If it wasn't, I would tell Seely to get lost," said Woody.

"That's okay," Hannah replied sadly.

Woody sensed the disappointment in her voice. He didn't want her to have to spend the day alone on his account. "I want you to go to the morgue, and hang out with Jordan for the day," he told her.

"Can I do that? Won't I interfere with her job?" asked Hannah.

"What, Jordan? No, I go there all the time. She'll like having you as company. I would give you a ride, but I have to go. Can you find it alright?" he said.

"Yeah, I've been there before," she replied.

"Right. Sorry. I'll let her know that you're coming. I'll come by to get you when I'm finished," said Woody. He turned around and got into the car with Seely. Hannah waved to him as he vanished out of sight. She was sad that she wouldn't be able to spend the day with Woody, but understood that he needed to do his job. She walked to the morgue by foot. When she arrived, she wondered if it were even open yet.

"Hey," said Jordan. She had just arrived when Hannah had.

"Hi," she replied. "Woody sent me over here. He had some police business."

"I know. I got his message. We are going to have a fun day, though. You can help me," said Jordan.

"I can hardly wait," Hannah replied as she and Jordan entered the building.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

Hannah had been at the morgue for the entire day. It was going to be turning 5:00 soon, and she wondered whether Woody would be coming back. She had helped Jordan with various things around the office, and no one had really noticed her presence.

"Can I go to the restroom?" Hannah asked Jordan, as they sat in her office.

"Sure thing. It's down the hall and to your right," she replied.

Hannah walked out into the hallway, and bumped into Nigel and Bug, causing them to drop some papers.

"I am so sorry," she said as she bent down to gather the papers.

"That's okay. Who are you anyway? Are you a friend of Jordan's?" Nigel asked, since he saw Hannah coming out of her office.

"You don't know who I am?" she asked, surprised.

"I don't think we do," replied Bug.

"Woody didn't tell you about me? I'm his daughter," Hannah said.

"His what?" Nigel asked surprised.

"His daughter. He never told you?" she asked again.

"No. He never mentioned it. How long have you been here?" said Bug.

"About three weeks. I can't believe he never told you!" Hannah said angrily. "Aren't you his friends?" She recognized them from a picture he had showed her.

"Yeah, we're his friends," replied Nigel.

"What's going on?" asked Jordan, as she emerged from her office after hearing the ruckus in the hall.

Hannah stood there shocked that Woody had kept her a secret. She was furious at him. She shoved the papers at Nigel and ran out of the morgue, and down the street. She didn't stop running despite Jordan's pleas that she come back.

"Oh great," said Jordan, as she returned inside the morgue. "What am I going to tell Woody?"

"Just tell him the truth," replied Bug.

"What is exactly is that?" Jordan asked.

"That you lost his daugther," said Bug smiling, as he walked away.

"It's not funny,"yelled Jordan after him. She flipped open her cell phone and dialed Woody's number. She just hopedhe wouldn't kill her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

Woody was driving on his way to the morgue when he got Jordan's phone call that said Hannah had left the morgue, and that she was upset. He arrived five minutes later, and was angry. Jordan was standing out in the hallway the moment Woody arrived. She hoped Hannah was safe because if anything had happened to her, she would blame herself.

"What exactly happened?" asked Woody as he came toward her. "And I swear to God if you lie to me, I will kill you with a plastic fork!" (LOL)

"Why not a metal one?" she asked.

"Jordan!" he yelled.

"Okay, okay. I was in my office when it happened. She had excused herself to go to the bathroom. But, according to Bug and Nigel, she ran into them in the hallway and knocked some papers out their hands. Nigel asked who she was. She said she was your daughter, and they were surprised, and acted that way. Hannah found out that you hadn't told everybody, got angry, and sprinted out of the office. I tried to go after her, but it's rather hard to run in heels. I yelled for her to come back, but she was gone," replied Jordan.

"Oh great. That's just great!" he said.

"I wouldn't have let her go to the bathroom if I knew that this would happen," said Jordan.

"Jordan, this is no time for jokes. I have to find her. I just have to find her," said Woody.

"Who's joking?" she asked. "You know this wouldn't have happened if you had just told your friends. This whole thing probably made her think that you were ashamed of her. Hiding the truth only keeps people apart Woody," replied Jordan.

"I can't believe I let this happen. I should have told them. I just wanted to get to know her better, before I shared her with anyone else. I know that sounds selfish but---," said Woody.

"Woody, you can't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault," she paused. "Did you ever think that this was meant to happen?"

"What? Jordan, what are you talking about?" he asked.

"Well, maybe you were destined to have this fight. It may be fate's way of bringing you two closer together," she replied.

"That's a weird explanation, even for you Jordan," said Woody.

"I'm sorry. That's the best I got," she said.

"I have to go. I need to find her," said Woody, as he turned around to leave.

"Hey Woody," said Jordan.

"Yeah?" he replied, turning around.

"Don't worry. You'll find her," she said.

"Thanks, Jordan. I'll call you later," replied Woody as he left the morgue.

Once outside, he walked at a brisk pace, calling her name. He kept thinking he should have never left her this morning. Woody had no clue where to look for her. It was almost dark, and there were some many places in Boston where she could be by now.

"Hannah. HANNAH!" yelled Woody from the sidewalk.

"Who are you looking for?" asked a barkeep, who had wondered outside when he heard Woody yelling.

"My daughter. She has shoulder length brown hair, bright blue eyes, and is about yay high," he said as he held his hand up to his chest. "Have you seen her? She was probably running."

"Yeah. I saw a girl with that description run by here about fifteen minutes ago," he replied. "She was going that way." He pointed to his right.

"Thanks sir," said Woody, as he started jogging the direction the man had pointed.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

Woody had been looking for an hour. He had been to all the places he had taken her in the past three weeks. She wasn't anywhere, and he was beginning to give up hope that he would find her. His cell phone rang, and he grabbed it hastily from his pocket hoping it would be Hannah.

"Hoyt," he said as he answered his phone.

"Hey Woody. It's Jordan," said Jordan.

"Oh. Hey," he replied disappointed.

"I take it you haven't found her yet," she said. She had heard the disappointment in his voice when he had answered.

"Yeah," he replied. "I've looked everywhere. I don't know where else she could be."

"I have an idea. Why don't we go over to your house and map out everywhere that she could be that you haven't thought of?" asked Jordan.

"I guess we could do that. I have a feeling that I won't find Hannah until she wants to be found," said Woody.

"I'll be over in five minutes," said Jordan as she hung up her phone. She knew how much Hannah meant to him and vowed to help find her, even if it took all night.

Woody went back to the morgue, and got in his car. He hadn't taken it before when looking for her because he thought he might be able to keep up with her better on foot. It hadn't worked like he'd planned, though. He drove to his apartment silently. This was easily one of the most horrible experiences of his life.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

Woody arrived back at his apartment and found Jordan there with Lily, Garrett, Nigel, and Bug.

"What are you all doing here?" he asked surprised.

"We thought we'd go look for her and you could stay here by the phone if she called or even came back," replied Jordan.

"We'll do anything to help you find her," said Lily kindly.

"Yeah, what she said," Nigel put in.

"Thanks guys," replied Woody.

"Okay. Nigel and Bug, you guys take downtown, and Lily and I will search the areas surrounding the morgue, precinct, and any restaurants," said Garrett.

"What about me?" asked Jordan.

"Jordan, I want you to check any and all teen hangouts and the ER," replied Garrett.

"Gotcha," she said. The others turned and left to go do their assignments. Jordan stayed back. She wanted to make sure Woody was okay before leaving him.

"How are you holding up?" she asked him as soon as she was sure the others had left.

"Not well," replied Woody.

"Don't worry. We WILL find her," said Jordan with determination. She turned to leave but Woody kept talking.

"I don't know if I can do this Jordan. I mean I know she is my flesh and blood, but---," said Woody.

"You can do this Woody. Where there is a will, there is a way," Jordan replied.

"Sometimes I wish this hadn't happened. I mean it's so much responsibility. Don't get me wrong, I mean I care about her so much, but it's so hard. Maybe that's why I hadn't told anybody. Maybe I thought that she would go away," said Woody sadly.

"No Woody. That's not true. I know you. I mean, sure it'll be challenging, but I have never seen you give up on anything, and I'm not about to let you give up on your daughter. She needs you, and you need her. You're her saving grace Woody. I saw the way she talked about you today. She is so grateful that she has you," replied Jordan.

"Maybe you're right Jordan. But honestly, I don't know anymore. I really don't," he said. Jordan walked over and gave him a hug.

"We'll find her," said Jordan firmly. She then turned and left. Woody put his head in his hands and stood in his kitchen for a couple of minutes after Jordan had left. His mind was full of emotions. A sound in the corner startled him out of his silence. He walked over into the living room and found Hannah huddled in a corner in the dark. She stared up at him with her tear stained face.

"Hannah?" he asked as he came closer. She stood up and looked at him. Anger was flashing on her face. "Thank God you are okay. I was so worried about you." She walked past him into the kitchen and turned around to face him.

"Save your emotions for somebody who cares," Hannah replied coolly. "I heard what you said to Jordan. And I'm sorry I ruined your life." Her voice was raised and her face was red. All he did was stare at her. Now he was as angry as she was.

"Don't you have something to say to me?" he asked loudly, trying to stay calm, but failing.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Maybe, umm, like you're sorry for making me run all over this city looking for you?" he yelled.

"Yeah right. I am not the one who should be apologizing!" Hannah yelled back. "You know what? I am sorry I cramp your style!" She walked over to the front door and was about to leave. Woody grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. "Let go of me!" she yelled, half screaming. Woody was in a rage. He released her shoulder's from his grasp.

"You're not leaving!" he fired back.

"Watch me!" she said as she opened the door and sprinted down the hall. Woody ran after her. He chased her down stairs.

"STOP! Hannah we need to talk about this. I have to explain myself," he said as they arrived out on the sidewalk.

"Save your breath for someone who cares!" she yelled back at him as she ran out into the street trying to get to the other side before Woody reached her.

"HANNAH! Come back here!" he yelled after her, but it was too late. Hannah was gone into the Boston nightlife.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 

Woody crossed the road frantically, dodging in between cars that were honking at him. He didn't care, though. All he wanted to do was find her. All he needed to do was find his daughter.

"Hey! WATCH IT!" Woody yelled to the driver of a car that had almost hit him.

"Then move buddy!" the driver countered back. Woody reached the other side of the road in a matter of seconds, but couldn't find Hannah anywhere. There was too many people around that she could have easily run in between the groups that were gathering on the sidewalk.

"Woody! What are you doing here?" asked Jordan as she came up to stand beside him. "I was just checking out these places for her."

"Hannah was in my apartment. She heard everything that I said to you. I saw her and she stormed out. I tried to stop her, but she ran out of the building. I chased after her, but by the time I got outside, she was gone. It was like she vanished," he said gasping for air. He was out of breath from the chase. "Did you see her?"

"No. I was inside asking around if anyone had noticed her," Jordan replied. "But she couldn't of gone far."

"Yeah, she could of. I know her well enough to know that she loves to run." said Woody.

"Well, this just got a hell of a lot a harder," said Jordan.

"God, Jordan. What am I going to do?" he asked.

"I don't know. But, at least you don't have to deal with her mother," replied Jordan, trying to make light of the situation. Woody just stared at her. "Sorry," she replied, in response to his stare.

"Don't be sorry, Jordan. Just help me find her," said Woody solemnly. He led her out of the crowd, and they walked along the street calling her name every few seconds. They walked into all the hangouts they saw but found no trace of Hannah. About an hour later, they ran into Lily and Garrett, both parties having no luck at finding her. Woody told them of the confrontation he had had with Hannah earlier in the evening.

"Is there anywhere we haven't considered?" asked Garrett?

"Well, if Bug and Nigel haven't found her yet, then I think we've looked pretty much everywhere," Woody replied worriedly.

"She has to be somewhere. I mean, she is one fourteen year old girl up against six grown adults. She might think she can outsmart us, but come on people. One grief counselor, four ME's and a detective. It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to tell us that we are smarter than her," said Garrett, taking command.

"Actually, that might help," replied Jordan.

"Jordan," said Garrett.

"What!" she replied

"Come on. She's out there somewhere," said Garrett as he started walking down the street. The others followed him, afraid of their fate if they questioned his judgment.

They walked in silence, except for Garrett, who kept calling for Hannah frantically. He was determined to find this girl, even if that meant spending the night calling out her name. An hour later, they ran into Bug and Nigel.

"Where have you guys been?" asked Lily.

"We were out looking for you. Then we heard Garrett, here, which led us directly to this very spot," replied Nigel. All of them had been out for over two hours, calling for a girl who didn't want to be found. They walked around for another hour, before finally retreating to Woody's apartment.

"Thanks for helping me," said Woody as he collapsed onto his kitchen chair. "I honestly don't know where she could be, but I'll find her...eventually. Or she will find me," said Woody. "You guys can go home. I really appreciate you spending your Saturday night helping me look for her."

"Call us if you need anything, anything at all," said Lily as she hugged him.

"Thanks, I will," he replied. Nigel, Lily, and Bug left the apartment.

"Hey Jordan, do you a ride home?" asked Garrett, who was standing by the open door.

"No, that's okay. I think I am going to stay here with Woody," Jordan said quietly to Garrett. He nodded and said goodbye to them as he left the apartment.

"You don't have to stay with me Jordan," Woody said, yawning.

"I know. But, I want to. You have been there for me so many times. It's about time I returned the favor," she said, smiling warmly at him.

"Thank you, Jordan," he replied.

"It's no problem. Speaking of problems, I'm hungry. Aren't you?" she asked.

"Actually, yeah, I am," he replied.

"Great. I'll order a pizza," she said. She got to his phone and dialed the number by heart.

"You memorized the pizza places' phone number?" he asked, laughing for the first time that day.

"Yeah. Without pizza, I would starve," she said, glad to see him finally smile, but it slowly faded from his face. They sat in silence for a while before Woody finally spoke.

"Jordan?" he asked.

"Yeah Woody?" she responded.

"I hope Hannah is safe," he said.

"I hope so too," she replied.

"It's weird. I've never been so scared or worried about any one person in my life. I mean, I know I just found out I had a daughter less than a month ago, but it has put my whole life into perspective. She has brought so much happiness into my life, that now, I can't imagine her without me," he said sadly.

Jordan could tell he was truly sorry that this had happened. She definitely felt for him. He was such a good person and this fight with Hannah was tearing him apart. She walked over to him and pulled him into a hug. She held him for a few moments before he set his head down onto her shoulder. She felt his warm tears on her shirt and knew he was crying. Her grip tightened around him and he lifted his head up and looked at her. She softly pressed her lips against his cheek.

"Listen Woody, we'll find her. I swear I will not leave your side until Hannah is back inside this apartment. I don't want you to worry about her. She will be fine," she said reassuringly.

"Thanks Jordan," he replied. She relinquished her grasp around him as the doorbell rang. She went to the door and found the pizza delivery guy. She paid him and brought the pizza back to the kitchen. It was midnight and there was nothing Jordan loved more.

"I love ordering pizza at midnight. Garrett and I do it every time we work late at the morgue. It's kind of a ritual we have together. It's really great," she said to him. He smiled over at her and then grabbed a piece of pizza out of the box.

"Yeah know Jordan, this is kind of nice. You, me, and a pizza at midnight," he said. She smiled at him.

"To the first of many," she replied as she lifted her piece of pizza like a toasting glass and clinked it against Woody's.

"I second that," he said as he returned the gesture.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

They had finished eating the pizza and were surprised that they had finished off every last piece. They had had no clue at how hungry they were. Woody had picked up the box and was preparing to throw it away when his cell phone rang. He was anxious to answer it because no one called him this late at night.

"Hoyt," he said as he answered the phone. He listened to the person on his cell for several seconds before speaking .

"Are you sure?" he asked worriedly into the phone.

"What is it?" asked Jordan, curious who it was. Woody held up his finger to her, motioning 'just a second'.

"Okay. I'll be right over," he said and closed his cell. He went over to grab his jacket, but Jordan grabbed his arm.

"What's going on?" she asked hurriedly.

He looked over at her panicky. "It's Hannah. She's in the hospital."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Woody and Jordan walked hurriedly down the flight out stairs. Both were silent and dared not talk about the grave situation.

"What did they say happened?" asked Jordan.

"They didn't. The nurse wouldn't give me any specifics over the phone," Woody replied as he reached for the keys in his pocket. Once he had them in his hand, she quickly took them away from him. He gave her a questioning look.

"You are in no condition to drive, so I will," Jordan said point blankly.

"Just make sure I get there alive. I would like to see her," Woody replied as he opened the passengers side door of his car. Jordan pulled out of the parking lot and put her foot full on the petal.

"Hey Woody, put on your flashing light and siren," she said as she looked around the interior for them.

"What? Jordan those are only for emergences," he replied.

"What do call this?" she asked him with wide eyes.

"Good point," he said as he reached down and put the light on his dash. People were pulling off to the side to make room for the now speeding car.

"I am so going to loose my job for this," he said as he watched the cars from the rear view mirror.

"Better that than your daughter," Jordan countered back. Woody just smiled at her but felt immediately guilty for doing so. Hannah was in the hospital and this was not a joking matter.

"Jordan if she's not okay--"

"She'll be okay. I have a feeling about this and my suspicions are not usually wrong," she replied while cutting him off.

"God! How far is this hospital? It always seems whenever you're in a hurry to get somewhere it takes an eternity, but when you're not the time flies by," he pondered out loud.  
"I know what you mean, but were are almost there," she replied. Within a few minutes, they had arrived safely in the hospital's ER parking area. Woody shut the siren off and sat in the car seat silently.

"Come on, Woody! We need to go find her," Jordan yelled at him.

"I know. I am just preparing myself so I don't over react or get too emotional," he replied.

"Woody, your daughter is in the hospital. You reserve the right to over react and get emotional," she said to him as she opened the door.

"Okay. I'm coming," he said. He got out of the car and together they walked briskly towards the entrance. Once they got inside, they found the check- in desk and walked over to one of the nurses.

"My daughter is in the hospital. I got called just ten minutes ago about her. Where is she?" he asked quickly.

"I need your name first sir," replied the nurse.

"Oh, sorry. It's Hoyt. Woodrow Hoyt," he told her. She looked up at him as soon as he said his name.

"What!" he asked as he noticed the look on the face.

"Nothing," the nurse replied smiling.

"Okay, Mr. Hoyt. Hannah was brought in at midnight and--," she started.

"Midnight! Why didn't you call me as soon as she was admitted?" Woody asked angrily.

"Woody, calm down and let her finish. Go ahead ma'am," Jordan said apologetically.

"As I said, she was admitted at midnight by a man who had witnessed the scene. She was the victim of a hit and run car accident," the nurse finished.

"Oh my God! Is she okay? Can I see her?" Woody asked.

"Well, she'll need emergency surgery, and we couldn't go ahead without your permission Mr. Hoyt, since you are her father," she replied.

"Why exactly does she need surgery?" asked Jordan.

"She sustained a lot of internal bleeding as well as a few broken ribs," the nurse responded.

"Can I see her before she goes into surgery? I really need to see her!" exclaimed Woody.

"You can see her for a few minutes, while we prepare, but it is urgent you make it quick. Like I said, she needs the surgery immediately," she replied as she turned around and motioned for them to follow her to Hannah's room. " It is vital that you do not upset her. She has gone through quite a lot of trauma tonight, and she may not be able to handle any stressors."

Jordan knew that sometimes for Woody it was hard for him to keep his temper down, even in emergency situations. She just hoped that he wouldn't upset her anymore.

"How did you get my number?" Woody as they arrived outside her door.

"It was in Hannah's back pocket. It said 'Dad's cell', so we called it as soon as we found the number. She was in no condition to tell us. She was barely conscious," she replied. Woody looked at Jordan sadly and entered the room.

"Mrs. Hoyt, if you wouldn't mind, I need you to fill out some paperwork," the nurse said as she handed Jordan the clipboard.

"Oh, I'm not--," but she stopped and decided not to try and explain but just have Woody fill out the papers as soon as he returned.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

Woody entered Hannah's room quietly and sat in the chair beside the bed. She looked so peaceful lying there asleep. He picked up her hand and held it while trying not to wake her. She had bruises all over her body and was extremely pale. It was so hard for him to see her there and tried not to cry, found it hard not to. He sobbed silently to himself and did not see Hannah stir as she opened her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" she whispered to him quietly. "I didn't know you cared." She had anger flashing in her voice and Woody could tell as he looked at her from underneath his tears.

"Of course I do, and I always will!" he said, trying to hide his anger that was creeping it's way through him again. She tried to get her hand out of his grasp but was too weak to untangle her fingers that were intertwined with his. Woody saw her try to get him to relinquish his grasp and finally gave in. 

"I don't know if I will ever forgive you!" she whispered excitedly. "I want you to leave!"

"I am not going anywhere," he said quietly.

"LEAVE!" she croaked angrily. Her voice had become stronger with the many emotions she was feeling.

"NO!" he yelled back. "I may not be your favorite person right now, but I am your father and I deserve respect. I DEMAND respect."

"That DOESN'T mean you're going to get it from me!" she yelled, her voice back to it's normal tone.

"Oh yes it does!" he fired back. The heart monitor beside the bed began to speed up and he knew Hannah was extremely angry. Just then Jordan burst through the door.

"Woody! What are you doing?" she asked in surprise. Nurses filed in behind Jordan and unhooked the IV's and the tubes that were connected to Hannah. They wheeled her away and into surgery. Woody just stood there silently.

"Woody! What the hell was that?" she asked. "You heard what the nurse said. Hannah does not need that stress, especially now."

"I know Jordan, but... I just lost it. She told me to leave and I just lost it," he replied quietly. He sat down in the chair that he had been seated in before. The nurse that had led them to Hannah's room came in.

"Mr. Hoyt, I was under the impression that you knew what I meant when I said that it was vital that you do not upset her. If it happens again, I will have no choice but to kick you out of this room and you will not be allowed to see her. And Mrs. Hoyt, I'll be needing those papers," the nurse said. She turned and left the room. Woody looked up at Jordan with a slight smile on his face.

"Don't ask," was all she could manage to reply. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

Woody and Jordan had been waiting in Hannah's room for over an hour. She was still in surgery and he grew worried with each passing moment.

"Jordan, I am such a jerk," he said to her finally.

"You're not a jerk Woody. You just let your emotions get the best of you. That's all," she replied.

"All Hannah needed tonight was someone to be with her, to love her. I couldn't even do that. I disappointed her," he said as he let out an exasperated laugh. He remembered the conversation they had barely a day ago, and now that moment seemed like it had taken place ages ago. He had accomplished Hannah's fear. He had disappointed her, he saw it on her face and it had broken his heart. They sat in silence for a few more minutes before the door finally opened and Hannah was wheeled in. Woody stood up and walked over to the doctor that had accompanied her.

"How did things go in there?" he asked worriedly.

"The surgery went fine and she will be okay. She will be sore for a couple of days but that's normal," replied the doctor. The nurses had hooked Hannah up to all the equipment by the time Woody had finished talking to the doctor. She was sleeping and Woody didn't want to wake her, so he and Jordan sat in the chairs by the bed. He was staring at Hannah with teary eyes and Jordan rubbed his back comfortingly.

"She's okay Woody. She's going to be okay," she told him soothingly.

"Jordan," he said looking up at her, "I didn't know I could love somebody this much. It actually hurts."

"She loves you too Woody. It may seem hard to believe right now, but she does," she replied.

"You think she will ever call me 'Dad,'?" he asked.

"Oh, but Woody. She already has," Jordan replied. He looked at her questioningly. "Remember when you asked the nurse how they got a hold of you and she said she found a piece of paper labeled, 'Dad's cell'? She does think of you as dad. She probably just thought that you didn't want her to call you that."

"You think she does?" he asked as he sniffled.

"Absolutely!" she replied. He smiled as he thought about what she had just said.

"It's amazing how a child can change your life," he said, returning to his sad mood.

"I know," she replied.

"I remember she told me once that life is about change. She said sometimes it's painful, sometimes it's beautiful, but most of the time it's both." He said these words as if he had remembered them by heart. "I love her so much." He set his head into his hands. Jordan drew him into a hug and held him. She had never seem him love anybody this much and it hurt her to see him like this.

Woody and Jordan sat silently in the room and watched the television. It had been an hour and a half since Hannah had come out of surgery. Woody had fallen asleep. His head rested on the side of the bed. She had been holding his hand but needed to go to the bathroom. She tried to let go of it but found that he had a good grasp on it.

"Woody," she whispered shaking him. "Woody!" she said a little louder.

"Umm.. What?" he groaned.

"I have to go to the bathroom," she replied.

"Then go," he said looking at her.

"Let go of my hand and I will."

"Oh, sorry," he replied as he let go of it. She quietly left the room and immediately called Garrett. She thought he should know since he had spent a better part of his evening looking for her. Back in the room, Woody couldn't get back to sleep. He stared at Hannah and hoped she would wake soon. He wanted to get the fight over with and figured that there would be one final battle. This had been their first fight and he didn't much care for it. Jordan returned to the room five minutes later.

"I am the bearer of coffee," she said happily.

"Thanks," he replied as he took a cup from her hand.

"What should I say Jordan?" he asked.

"What?" she replied.

"When she wakes up, what should I say?"

"I don't know if you should say anything. I mean, you didn't handle that last confrontation too well," she said. He just smiled. "Come on. Let's go for a walk to clear that head of yours." They got out of the chairs and left the room.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

Garrett arrived at the hospital ten minutes after Jordan had called him. He wanted to make sure Hannah was okay, as well as Woody. As a father himself, he knew how hard it was to see your child hurt. He went to the room Jordan had said she was in. When he got there, he saw the room deserted and Hannah was sitting up. He went in and she was surprised to see him. She had no clue who he was.

"Hi," he said as he entered the room.

"Hello," she replied cautiously. "Who are you?"

"Oh. Sorry. I'm Garrett Macy, Chief ME at the morgue," he said.

"Oh," she said. "I don't know where Woody and Jordan are."

"Okay, but I didn't come here to see them. I came here to see you," he replied.

"You mean you know who I am?" she asked.

"Yeah. Woody told me," he replied.

"He did? I was under the impression he hadn't told anyone except for Jordan," Hannah said.

"No, he told me. In fact, I spent the better part of the evening looking for you. Where were you, by the way?" Garrett asked.

"I prize my greatest ability as being able think in unusual ways," she said.

"Well that's good to know, but that still doesn't answer my question," he replied.

"I was at the harbor," she said softly.

"The one place we didn't think of," he said smiling. She smiled back. "Woody loves you, you know."

"Yeah, I know. I love him too. I was just so angry that he didn't mention me to his friends. I just lost it, so I ran. Whenever I get frustrated, I run," she replied.

"Woody is new at this. He may let you down sometimes, but he tries the best that he can. And that's really all you can ask of him," Garrett said.

"I know," she replied. "But I think love has a way of blinding even the sharpest minds. We don't look because we don't want to see. But in a moment of anger when that love gets stripped away, we see the real person clearly. They're revealed to us, with all their flaws, their foibles, and their secrets."

"I'm listening," he replied interested in the reasoning behind her thoughts.

"I grew up without a father figure. I never had that male influence so I always thought that a father was supposed be this superhero who was always full of surprises, unconditional love, and would never disappointment me. Those were somehow my expectations and Woody let me down. I loved the idea of him, and when he disappointed me, I finally saw that he was not perfect, and now I realize he shouldn't be. Our imperfections only make human," Hannah said.

Garrett was aghast. Never before had he heard a child speak words that were as true as these. "You're very wise for your age," he told her. She smiled at him.

"I think I learned from this whole evening that I need to learn the difference between fantasy and reality. Life is too short to spend looking for something that doesn't exist, nor ever will," she said.

"You're an amazing girl, Hannah. You've realized things it takes adults their whole life to figure out. Woody's lucky to have such a great daughter," Garrett replied.

"Yeah, well. I don't know how great he thinks I am after tonight," she said.

"I think he will," said Garrett. He stood up to leave and went to the door.

"Thanks Garrett," said Hannah.

"Anytime," he said smiling and left the room.

"Hey Garrett!" Jordan said as she and Woody approached the room. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to Hannah. She loves you Woody, more than you think. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow," he said. They said their goodbyes to Garrett and then turned to face Hannah's room.

"Go get her tiger!" said Jordan as she left his side to go sit in the waiting room. Woody smiled and opened the door to Hannah's room. He was ready to talk and hopefully she would be to.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 

Woody entered the room quietly even though he knew Hannah was awake. He walked over and sat in the chair that he had sat in so many times before and looked at her. She returned the stare but neither of them knew where to begin talking.

"I know I let you down and...I'm sorry for that," he started. "But I don't think I am the only one who needs to be apologizing here." She just stared at him.

"Oh, you mean me," she replied. "I'd like to know what I am apologizing for. I think they are meaningless if you don't know what you did wrong in the first place."

"Well for starters, running away from me and not to mention Jordan. We spent the evening looking for you and we were damn well worried. I'm not the only one who cares about your welfare," he said.

"Now that I know what I am supposed to be sorry for, I'd like to hear what you're sorry for," she replied.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell my other friends about you, but in my defense, I told Garrett," Woody said.

"What good are friends if you can't tell them your secrets. If you can't tell your friends, who can you tell?" Hannah replied.

"I know. I'm sorry for that and I have no good excuse for not telling them about you. But I can't keep apologizing for that. You either can forgive me or you can't, but I won't let you keep throwing that in my face. Decide right now. Am I forgiven for that? 'Cause I can apologize 'til the end of the earth, but I don't want to waste my breath if it won't make a difference," he said sternly. Hannah was quiet for a moment, contemplating how she should say what she was thinking.

"I was never mad at you Woody. But let me explain. I wasn't mad that you hadn't told your friends. I only convinced myself that was the reason, but there was an underlying matter at hand," she said.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"When I found out that you didn't tell your friends, it made me realize that as much as I wanted it, I would never be your 'little girl'. You will never know where my childhood scars came from, or what I got for my 5th birthday, because you were never involved in that part of my life and that angered me. It made me mad at my mother for never telling you. Then I felt guilty because I was mad at my mom. Then I became mad at you because you made me realize that I was angry with her," she said.

"I know what you mean. But the thing is, you can be angry with her even though she's not here anymore. I felt the exact same way when my father died. I was angry at him because he left me in charge of Cal, and I always resented him for that. I mean I was only a kid myself. So instead of being angry with my father's memory, I became angry at Cal. But as I grew older, I realized that those feelings toward my dad were okay to feel," he replied.

"Are you still mad at me?" she asked worriedly.

"No. In fact, I was never really mad at you. I just thought I should be because you were mad at me," he replied. "I was so worried about you, Hannah. I was sick when I found out myself. what had happened. All I could think was 'What have I done',"

"You didn't do anything. I'm more mad at myself for not listening to you. If I had, I wouldn't be here right now," she said looking around.

"I love you so much kiddo," he said sighing, and gave her a hug.

"I love you too," she replied. They smiled at each other and stared laughing, knowing that everything between them had been forgiven.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

Woody came out of the room smiling as Jordan approached him.

"So things went okay in there?" she asked noting the smile on his face.

"Yeah, we're good," he replied. "She's sleeping right now," he said as he saw the questioning look on her face.

"Oh. Well, I'm glad everything worked out okay. I hated seeing you so sad," she said.

"Yeah. Hey, thanks for everything Jordan. It really meant a lot. Hannah likes you, you know," he replied.

"I should say so. I'm a pretty likeable person," she said smiling. "And it wasn't a problem," Jordan replied as the answer to his question.

"So, do you want to get some coffee...Mrs. Hoyt?" Woody asked smiling.

"I suppose you want to hear the story behind that," Jordan said as she returned the smile.

"Oh yeah!" he replied, laughing, as they walked down the hall.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who read my story and reviewed! It really motivated me to keep writing. I hope you liked it, and I hope the ending is okay. As always, criticisms and opinions are always welcome and encouraged by me!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 

A/N: Okay, so even though the last chapter had been planned as the end, I decided that a few more chapters wouldn't hurt!

"So let me get this straight. The nurse mistook you for my wife and you didn't bother to correct her?" asked Woody trying to repress his laughter.

"Yeah, pretty much. I just didn't want to explain it because so many people would just ask questions and it would get all weird," Jordan replied knowing that it wasn't a very good explanation.

"Oh. Okay. I just want to tell you right now that I will not let you forget this anytime in the near future," he said. After fifteen minutes of trying to get this little mishap out of Jordan, Woody had finally convinced her to tell him as they were walking back with their coffee to Hannah's room.

"Can we please talk about something else?" she asked, embarrassed by their current subject. "So when can Hannah go home?"

"I'm not sure. The doctor didn't say, but I hope it's soon. They said the surgery was a success," he replied, as they entered her room.

"I guess it wasn't as good a success as you thought," she said as she looked at the empty bed in the room.

"What?" he asked as he followed in behind her.

"She's not here, Woody. Do we have the right room?" she replied.

"Yeah. My jacket is in that chair," he said with a worried tone.

"Maybe they just moved her," she replied hoping that it was the truth.

"At 5:30 in the morning?" he asked.

"You never know," she replied turning around but found that she was talking to no one. Woody had left the room and was quickly walking to the nurse's station.

"Where the hell is my daughter!" he yelled at the nurse.

"Mr. Hoyt! Please lower your voice," she replied.

"Where is she?" he asked again this time a little softer.

"She had a reaction to some of the medicine that was given to her and she started seizing. We assumed you had left for the evening and tried to get a hold of you but we got the answering system on both your cell and home phone. We wouldn't have done anything but she needed it. We couldn't have risked it otherwise," the nurse replied. "After she was stable, we moved her to a different ward."

"How could this have happened? I was only gone for twenty minutes!" he shouted.

"I know, Mr. Hoyt. It happened five minutes after you left. As I said, we tried to get a hold of you ,but you didn't answer," she replied.

"Is she okay? Will she be fine?" he asked. The nurse looked at him solemnly.

"We don't know yet. We believe it was the medicine that caused the episode, but there is no way to be sure. The doctors will figure it out though, I promise you," she said.

"Where is she?" he asked sadly.

"She is on the third floor. The nurses up there will lead you to her. Please don't worry, Mr. Hoyt," the nurse replied and went back to her work. Jordan had been standing silently beside him wondering how this could of happened.

"Come on, Woody. Let's go find her," she said as she pulled at his arm, forcing him to move from the spot where he was standing.

"How could this of happened Jordan?" he asked puzzled hoping she would give him a better explanation than the nurse had.

"I don't know Woody. I mean, as fascinating as our bodies are, they are also very stupid," she replied honestly. He gave her a questioning look. "It's the truth." They arrived at the elevator and rode it in silence to the third floor. When the got there, they found the nearest nurse's station and immediately went over.

"Where can I find Hannah Hoyt?" Woody asked solemnly. The nurse looked up at him.

"I'm sorry, sir. It's private information," she replied.

"Listen, you little---,"

"Woody. Woody! Let me handle this, she said pushing him away. Once he was out of hearing distance she spoke to the nurse quietly.

"Listen, that man over there," Jordan started as she pointed over at Woody, " he's Detective Hoyt with the Boston P.D. Hannah Hoyt is his daughter, and though that may seem insignificant at the moment, he needs to see her immediately. See, if you want to feel safe in this city ever again, you'll let this detective go and see his only daughter ."

The nurse smiled at Jordan. "Is that a threat, ma'am?" she asked.

"Yes," Jordan replied point blankly while staring into the nurse's eyes.

"Room 313," she replied irritated.

"Thank you," Jordan said smiling. "Woody, come on!"

Woody walked over and was surprised that Jordan had gotten the information. "How did you get her to give you the number?" he asked.

"Well, I sort of threatened her," she replied.

"What ever works," he said happily. "What room is it?"

"313," Jordan replied, rather pleased with herself. They scanned the signs that littered the walls until they found the one that read 'Rooms 300-320'.

"This way," he said as soon as he saw the sign. They walked down the empty corridor until they found the room they were looking for. Woody paused outside the door before going in and Jordan did the same.

"Why did we stop?" she asked.

"I am just preparing myself for what I am about to see," he replied.

"And what exactly is that?" she asked

"I'm not entirely sure, but I just assumed it will be hard for me to see," he said.

"Okay. Are we ready yet?" Jordan asked.

"No," he replied. She waited a few moments.

"Are we ready now?"

"Yes," he replied, pushing open the door. They walked a few paces inside and the door closed behind them. Immediately Woody saw her and it broke his heart. He looked down at his shoes, and Jordan rubbed his back in a comfortingly way.

"I'm sorry Woody," she said as she noted the expression on his face. Hannah had needles sticking out of her arm and a tube down her throat. And that along with the bruises made it hard for Woody to see her. He went over to chairs next to the bed and sat down. Jordan followed suite and sat in the chair beside Woody.

"I'm going to find out who did this to her Jordan," he said determinedly. He looked at Hannah. "I swear to you, I'm going to find out who hit you, even if it's the last thing I do."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 

Woody and Jordan had been waiting it seemed like for hours for Hannah to wake up and still she hadn't. Woody was growing impatient and she could tell he was restless.

"I'm going to go find a doctor," he said at last.

"Woody, if they knew anything don't you think they would tell us?" she replied.

"Jordan, I can't stand here and do nothing. I just can't. It's just not in my nature," he said.

"Don't I know it," she said to herself.

"Could you stay here with her?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied. Woody got up and left the room. Jordan was worried about him. She knew how hard this was for him, and thanked God that Woody and Hannah had made up before this happened or he would have really hated himself. He returned a few minutes later, and looked angry and disappointed.

"So...what did they say?" she asked.

"Nothing. They wouldn't tell me anything," he replied.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't be. It's not your fault. There is nothing you can---," he stopped and smiled.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"Well, Jordan. You are a doctor," he said, his smile growing wider.

" No, come on, Woody. What am I supposed to say? 'I am Hannah Hoyt's personal physician, and I would like to be updated on her condition'," she replied laughing nervously.

"Yeah. That's better than anything I would have thought of to say," he said smiling.

"No, Woody. They would never believe me. I'm not that kind of doctor," she replied.

"Come on Jordan. I mean, you are a doctor. Just not the kind they are thinking of. It's worth a shot, isn't it?" he asked as he stuck out his bottom lip. "Please. I'll be in your debt forever."

"Fine," she said after thinking about it. "But I won't guarantee anything." She left the room and hoped it would work. She wondered the hall and finally found the doctor the nurses had said was on Hannah's case.

"Hi," she said as she approached him.

"Hi," he replied looking curiously at her as she stood in front of him. "Can I help you with something?"

"Oh yeah, sorry. I am Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh and I'm Hannah Hoyt's personal physician. I just arrived and would like to be updated on her condition," she said, trying to sound convincing. She thought the doctor suspected something by the look on his face but he sighed and told her.

"Hannah was in a hit and run accident. She had internal bleeding and a couple of broken ribs. She went into surgery and everything went as well as to be expected. She went to her room and a little while later, she had a seizure. We think it was the medicine that caused it but we're not exactly sure why. We will have to perform some tests to in order to further determine the cause. But to be truthfully honest, no one wants to go in there," he replied.

"Why not?" she asked.

"We are all afraid of the man in there. We were told it was her father. He threatened the nurse," he explained.

"Mr. Hoyt? I'm sure he was just worried. He really cares about his daughter and I'm bet he just wanted to see her," she said defending Woody and herself since she was the one that had actually done the threatening. "Anyway, how will Hannah be. Will she wake up soon?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest. She went through a lot of physical trauma tonight. That may be one other possible cause of the seizure," he replied. "Well Dr. Cavanaugh, I really must be going."

"Oh, yes. Sorry to have bothered you," she said.

"It was no trouble," he said smiling as he walked away. Jordan quickly walked back to the room and relayed all of the information back to Woody.

"And they call this a hospital?" he asked angrily. "They are supposed to know what is wrong with her!"

"I know Woody, and as a doctor I have to say that sometimes it's hard to determine what went wrong. It takes time, but I am sure they will figure it out. In the meantime, I need you to stay below the radar. They are already scared to come in her because they think you will... well do something," she replied.

"Well I may as well do something if they don't do anything soon," Woody said.

"You need to calm down, or they might begin to suspect something," Jordan replied.

"Suspect what?" he asked.

"You were the last one in the room with Hannah and then something happened to her," she said.

"Jordan, do you think that they think that I did this to her?" he asked loudly.

"I know you didn't Woody, because I know you. I know you wouldn't hurt anybody unless it was necessary, but they don't know you. So just calm down and quit hassling the nurses," she replied.

"Fine," he said as he sat down. Jordan suspected that he was mad at her for saying the nurses accused him of hurting Hannah.

"If we leave, they might come in here and check up on Hannah," she said trying to get him to lighten up. He just looked at her.

"Oh, come on Woody. Are you honestly mad at me? I mean, I pretended I was Hannah's doctor for you. I just wanted you to calm down and be patient. All will be revealed in good time," she said taking a seat next to him.

"I'm not mad at you," he replied after a while. "I just can't believe they could think I would do something like that to her," he said sounding hurt.

"They may not think that. I just think you need to cool down. I think they are more scared that I threatened that nurse," she replied smiling.

"You think?" he asked hopefully.

"Absolutely!" she said. "Let's go get some breakfast and maybe by the time we get back they will know something for sure," she said.

"I guess we could do that," he replied, in a better mood.

"And while we're out, we could stop by the morgue and tell the others what happened. The fresh air will do you good," Jordan said happily.

"Okay. Let's go," he said getting up. Woody looked at Hannah before they left and whispered in her ear, "We will be back soon."

They left the room quietly and passed the nurse's station on the way out. As they waited by the elevator, Woody and Jordan looked back and saw the nurse enter Hannah's room.

"I can't believe they are scared of me," Woody said smiling at Jordan, and they laughed to themselves as they boarded the elevator.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 

"On my God! What happened? Lily asked Woody as the others gathered around her. Woody explained what had happened to Hannah and they all fell silent.

"Will she be okay?" asked Bug.

"He'll be fine," said Jordan, jumping in so Woody wouldn't have to answer." The doctor wants to do some more tests and Hannah still has to wake up, but besides that, everything is fine." Woody looked at the gratefully.

"Call if you need anything," said Lily. "Sorry we can't talk more, but it's crazy here."

"Do you want me to come in?" asked Jordan.

"No, it's fine. Besides, I think Woody needs you more," Lily replied.

"Okay. Well, I'll see you later, I guess," Jordan said as she walked over and joined Woody who was talking with Nigel.

"Thanks, Nigel," he said as Jordan approached.

"What were you guys talking about?" she asked Woody as Nigel left.

"Nigel is just going to help me with something," replied Woody.

"Would you like to explain further?" she asked.

"No. I wasn't planning on it," he replied smiling.

"I'm just going to let it slide, but only because your daughter is in the hospital," she said.

"Speaking of hospitals, do you want to head back?" he asked.

"Sure. Just let me run to my office and get something," she replied.

"Okay," he said happily. "I'll just wait here." She smiled and walked quickly to her office and out of Woody's line of vision.

"Nigel? Nigel! Where are you?" she asked.

"Yeah. Right here love," he said coming out of the crypt.

"I want to know what you were talking to Woody about?" she asked.

"He wanted me to go to the scene of the accident and check things out and see it I could find any clues," he replied.

"Do you think there might be anything?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. I haven't been there yet," he replied.

"Call me when you go. I want to help you," she said.

"Okay. It'll be sometime this afternoon," Nigel replied.

"Great, and do you think we could keep this under wraps. I don't want Woody to know," she said.

"Yeah, sure thing," he said.

"Thanks, Nig," she replies as she turned around and left. She walked down the hall and back to Woody.

"Took you long enough," he said as she came near. " What did you have to get?"

"I just had to put some papers away that I left out yesterday," she replied.

"Oh, are you ready now?" Woody asked.

"Yeah, let's go," she said as they walked down the hall and left the morgue. They got in the car and drove toward the hospital.

"While you were talking with Nigel, I thought of something to get the nurses on my good side," he said happily.

"What do you mean? I was in my office!" she said excitedly.

"Jordan, I may be worried about Hannah, but I'm not naïve," he replied.

"Okay, okay. So I was talking with Nigel. Big deal," she said.

"I just want him to check out the scene of the accident. There may be something there that was overlooked," Woody replied. She gave him a sidelong glance. "I just want to be sure."

"Okay," she said. " Anyway, what's your ides to get the nurse's on your good side?"

"All will be revealed in good time," he replied quoting her. She just laughed. They arrived at the hospital ten minutes later.

"Jordan, why don't you head upstairs. I'll be there in just a minute," he said to her.

"Okay, but where are you going?" she asked.

"I'll be there in a minute. Don't worry," he replied. Woody left Jordan standing in the lobby while he ventured into the gift shop. She rode the elevator to the third floor, and went into Hannah's room. She was still lying on the bed and she took a seat beside her. Woody entered a few minutes later.

"So… what did you get?" Jordan asked curious at why he went into the gift shop.

"I bought some flowers for Hannah," he replied.

"Oh. I thought you were going to get the nurses back on your good side," she said.

"Be patient. It will take time, but I will win them over with my charm," her replied.

"What charm?" asked a weak voice. They both turned and stared at Hannah.

"You're awake!" Woody said excitedly.

"Yeah," she replied. "What exactly happened?"

"You had a seizure. The doctors think that you had a bad reaction to some of the medicine," he said.

"Will I be okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah, you're going to be fine," Jordan said.

"That's good," Hannah replied. "So why do you need to get the nurses on your good side?"

"Oh, it's nothing really," he said as he smiled at Jordan.

"Come on," she replied.

"Jordan threatened the nurse because she wouldn't let us in. She eventually did because of Jordan's coaxing skills," he said.

"Really?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah. She also pretended to be like your own personal doctor to get information about what happened," he replied.

"Only because you made me!" Jordan said laughing.

"Well I only did it because they wouldn't tell me anything," he replied defending himself.

"It's sounds like you guys had a good time," Hannah said smiling.

"We were worried about you though," Woody replied as Jordan's cell phone began to ring.

"Cavanaugh," she said as she answered her phone. "Okay. We're on out way. Yeah, he knows. Bye."

"Who was that?" he asked.

"It was Nigel. He's ready to go. You're coming, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, Jordan and I are going to go check out an investigation. We'll be back later," Woody said.

"Okay. I'll see you guys later," Hannah replied as Woody and Jordan left her room. As they walked down the hall, the nurse that Jordan had threatened stopped them in the hall.

"Mr. Hoyt, I just wanted to thank you for the cookies you left, as well as the card. I'm sorry for the mix-up that happened this morning," she said smiling at Woody.

"Yeah, me too. I just wanted you to know that I didn't mean to invade on your turf. Jordan here, she just gets so angry sometimes and takes it out on anybody who gets in her way," he replied. They nurse stopped smiling and stared at Jordan.

"Maybe you should go to am anger management class. They have some wonderful classes at the community center that might prove beneficial to you and your problem," she said hostilely.

"Listen you---" Jordan began. Woody put his hand over her mouth.

"Again, sorry for the mix-up," Woody apologized.

"It was no problem," the nurse said kindly and turned around to leave.

"I can't believe you said that!" Jordan said as soon as the nurse was out of hearing distance, and she smacked him playfully.

"Jordan, Jordan. I did what I had to do," he said smiling. "You know, you really ought to consider those anger management classes," Woody added laughing.

"I just want you to remember one thing," she replied even though she thought the situation had been funny.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Karma's a bitch," Jordan replied smiling as she made her way to the elevator.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 

"Find anything yet Nigel?" asked Woody as he got out of the car and walked toward him.

"It takes, Woodrow," he replied as he continued to search.

"How did you find out where she was hit?" Jordan asked Woody as she arrived beside him.

"The nurse told me what the guys who brought Hannah in said," he replied.

"How do you know that it wasn't him that hit Hannah? I mean, no one reported it so obviously no one witnessed it," Nigel replied.

"Or they did and didn't come forward," Jordan put in.

"Do we know who brought her to the hospital?" Nigel asked.

"He didn't tell the nurse his name, so…no," Woody replied.

"I hate to tell you Woody, but I don't see anything significant here. I'm sorry. It looks like the driver is going to remain anonymous," Nigel said.

"Are you sure? I mean, Jordan and I can help you look," Woody replied.

"It would be easier it there was a body," Nigel said. Jordan and Woody looked at him. "I'm sorry but it would be. I have been here for a while and all I've found are tire skid marks."

"Thanks, Nigel. I guess there is nothing more we can do," replied Jordan. He nodded and walked away. "Come on, Woody. Hannah is all right. Someone brought her in and she's okay. That's the important thing."

"I guess you're right, but it just bothers me. Someone hit my daughter and they got away with it. I don't want them to, but it looks like they just may," he said, sounding defeated.

"Let's go back to Hannah. Did you ever think that she may be able to tell us something about the man or the car that hit her?" she asked.

"She might be able to, but don't you think she would have already told us if she had?" he replied.

"I don't know. We never asked her," she said.

"I guess you're right," Woody replied.

"Of course I am. I'm always right," she said,

"Yeah. Just keep telling yourself that," he replied smiling. She smacked him in the arm as they walked over to the car.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

When Woody and Jordan arrived at the hospital, Hannah was still awake.

"Hey, you're back," Hannah said as she saw them enter the room.

"Yeah, our investigation didn't go the way we planned," Woody replied.

"What exactly was this investigation about?" she asked curiously.

"Well, umm…" he stuttered out.

"Just tell her Woody," Jordan said.

"Fine. We went to the spot where your accident occurred and tried to find anything that points to the person that hurt you," he replied.

"Oh," she said. "Why does it matter?"

"It just does," he replied.

"Tell me why," she said. He didn't say anything for a while but finally spoke.

"There are people in my life who are gone now. People who I miss very much hand people who I am haunted by in many ways. I don't want you to become one of those people," he said and sighed. "I have it in that I need to find out who did this to you so I can punish who almost made you leave me," he said.

"That's sweet Woody, but I'm here. I'm real, and I'm not going to leave you. You have my guarantee," Hannah replied. He smiled at he and she added, "Anyway, the person who did this is going to have to try a lot harder to get me away from you." She laughed and smiled up at him. Jordan went to the door and was going to go to the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" Woody asked.

"To find Karma," she replied smiling as she left.

"What?" Hannah asked.

"You don't even want to know," he replies as he laughed to himself.

"Hey I forgot to tell you. The nurse said I could go home in a few days. She said it was just the medicine that I had a reaction to," said Hannah.

"That's great," he replied. She looked at him for a minute.

"It's still bothering you, isn't it?" she asked.

"What?" he replied.

"That you didn't find who did this to me," she said.

"Maybe a little," he said honestly.

"Don't let it, because it wasn't his fault. I was the one that went out into the middle of the street. I wasn't paying attention . He brought me here. He told me how sorry he was and said that he would wait here until you came to the hospital. I told him that he should go. It really wasn't his fault," Hannah told him.

"You're not just telling me that?" he asked.

"Yeah, he really wanted to stay, but I made him leave," she replied as Jordan entered the room.

"Why did you tell him to leave?" Woody asked.

"I knew how you would react when you found out what had happened and I didn't want you to day or do something that you would regret," she replied.

"Why would I regret it. It's not like I know…" he said looking directly at Hannah. " DO I know who did this?" he asked seriously.

"No, you don't. But I know how you react sometimes when you're angry, whether you know the person or not," she replied. He looked at her as if he could tell if she was lying. He finally lightened up.

"I'm going to get something to drink. Does anyone want anything?" he asked, changing the subject. The girls didn't reply and he left.

"Hannah, do you know who did this?" she asked as soon as Woody had left the room. "You can trust me. I will not tell Woody."

She sighed before speaking. "I honestly don't know who it was."

"Are you sure?" Jordan questioned further.

"I'm sure," she replied.

"Are you sure you're sure?" she asked.

"Sorry. With all the internal bleeding and the broken ribs, I forgot to ask the nice man who brought me to the hospital, so I could get medical attention, what his name was," Hannah replied sarcastically. "Listen Jordan, If I knew who it was, I would have already told you. I know I made it seem like I knew him because I told him to leave, but I only did that for Woody. As I already stated, I know how he would have reacted. I thought I had done the right thing, but obviously I was wrong." Jordan was quiet for a moment.

"I believe you," she replied and let the subject drop. Hannah was upset by this whole matter. She, in fact, did not know who had brought her in. She hated that Woody and Jordan didn't believe her, but that was there problem, not hers. She knew it was important to Woody to find who had hit her, but she knew it had been her fault. It was in the past and she just wished that he would forget about it and move on. Woody came back a few minutes later and the subject was never brought up again and Hannah was grateful for this.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 

Hannah got out of the hospital a week later. She and Woody were on the right track They had put the accident and all of that nights events were out of their mind. Woody was so excited for Hannah to return home because while she had been in the hospital, he had had a surprise awaiting for her.

"So, what's my surprise?" asked Hannah as she sat in the car seat next to him.

"Be patient. You'll see it in a second," Woody replied as he got out of the car and went to her side so he could help get out and up to the apartment.

"Will I like it?" she asked.

"I should hope so, as much as it cost," he replied.

"So it's expensive," she said and smiled A few minutes later they arrived upstairs and went into the apartment.

"SURPRISE!" everyone yelled in unison. Jordan, Garrett, Bug, Nigel, and Lily all screamed as Hannah and Woody walked inside.

"Thanks everyone," Hannah said smiling.

"And now for the finale," Woody said as he lead her to a side room. He opened the door and walked inside. Hannah followed and almost started to cry as she went inside.

"You did this for me?" she asked dumbfounded as she looked around.

"I just wanted you to know how much I want you to be here. This past month has been one of the best months of my life. You're not going anywhere," he replied smiling.

"Thank you so much Woody. This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me," Hannah said as she gave him a hug.

"I know. I guess I'm just that kind of guy," he said smiling as he turned and left Hannah in her new bedroom He was ready to be the greatest dad that she could ever hope for. He truly loved her with all his heart. Hannah Hoyt had changed this detective for the better.

A/N: Well, I think this story is finished. I hope you liked it because I had a good time writing it. All stories must come to an end and I hope this ending did not disappoint!


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